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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. I'. G. BROWN. ROTARY ENGINE.

INVENTOB:

(No Model.) 2 sheets-'sheet 2. A. F. G. BROWN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 28.1890.

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UNITED STATES,v

PATENT FFICE.

ALEXANDER F. G. BROWN, OF DALRY, COUNTY OF AYR, SCOTLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,331, dated January 28, 1890. Application tiled December l, 1888. Serial No. 282,399. (No model.) Patented in England February 2, 1888, No. 1,555.

To @ZZ whom t Vmay concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER FRANCIS GARDEN BROWN, a citizen of the United King'-v ture to which it relates to make and use the r5- ing as a compound engine, or with triple,

quadruple, or other number of expansions.

On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a' single-acting rotary en- `gine constructedV in'accordance with my improvements; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section thereof, and Fig. 4 an end elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of a reversing rotary engine asl constructed in accordance with my improvements. Fig. 5 shows the packing-strips. Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 7, an elevation of the end marked 1; and Fig. 8, an elevation of the end marked 2, Fig. 6. As shown by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and fi, the improved'single-acting engine consists of a cylinder A, the body of Awhich is formed on or connected to a sole or base plate B, both ends of the cylinder being removable. Through the center of the cylinder there extends a shaft C, which passes out through stufiingboxes D, the glands E of which are so formed that they project into the body of and toward Vthe center of the cylinder, thus constituting hollow sleeves or bosses surrounding the shaft C. In the space between the inner ends of the glands E there is secured on the shaft the eye or boss of a radial or crank arm F, whose outer end extends into a recess made in a `piston-piece G, the piston-piece occupying the full breadth of the cylinder between its re- The inner edge of the pistonpiece rests steam-tight upon and rotates around the glands E, which are capable of being screwed up to provide for wear of the sides of the eye of the crank-arm F, against which the lglands abut. At its outer edge the piston-piece Gis. packed byV a packing-strip a, extending across the breadth ofthe piston in a slot or recess madefor its reception, the packing-strip being held 'tight vagainst the interior of the cylinder by springs b,'

placed in the recess behind it. In addition to the said packing a., the ends of the piston may be packed by similar strips and springs acting against the removable ends or covers of the cylinder. In conjunction with the piston G there are provided two Iarms HH, one

end of each of which is situated kin a recess made in the thickness of the cylinder for its reception, the interior bore of the cylinder being also recessed, as seen at c, Fig. 3, to receive the otherends of these arms as they are pushed back successively by the piston during its rotation. The arms II I-I also extend across the full breadth of the cylinder between its removable ends, against which they are packed steam-tight bythe packing-strips cc, (seen at Fig. 5f, which is a side elevation of one arm.) The bosses of tlie'said arms have steam ways or passages d formed in them, which communicate with exhaust-passages e, made inl the cylinder, and with an exhaustpipe I. The end of the steamway has or may have a piece y iitted into it which is forced tight against the exhaustpassage e by' the pressure of steam behind it, and `in addition to the packing-strips :c another packing for the arms may be inserted at w.

The inner ends of the arms II I-I are so formed that when extended they rest stearn. tight against the glands E and eye of the crankarm F, and the recesses c in the cylinders, in which these arms lie when moved back by the rotating piston G, are preferably so shaped that when the arms are thrown back there is a space between the surfaces of 'the arms and of the recess, as indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 3.

The cylinder nA has a valve-box J at each side, from which a port f extends into the recess c, so that the said ports are covered by the arms II H when they are thrown back Ysaid levers and links.

by the piston G. In the valve-boxes .I any suitablearrangement of steam-distributing valve may be employed.

The valves K K2, (shown on the drawings,) are oscillating valves, the spindles K of which pass out through stufting-boxes L', and have cranks M secured on their outer ends, these cranks being connected by links N to a pin N', fixed eccentrically in a disk O, keyed on the shaft C, or instead of this any other suitable arrangement of valve-gear, and by the rotation of which the valves K K2 will operate to supply and cut o steam alternately, may be substituted In starting the engine constructed as hereinbefore described steam is admitted so as to act on the side X of the piston, they opening of the steam-port having the effect of first forcing the arm H down the face of the piston G, until the' inner end of the arm is in contact? with the glands E, the steam being thereby prevented from acting except to rotate the piston in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3. AtV the same time the exhaust-passage CZ in the hub or boss of the arm H so forced down isopened to that part of the cylinder which receives steam from the other distributingvalve K2 and to the port e, thereby exhausting the steam from that part of the cylinder and preventing back-pressure on the rotating piston. Immediately on passing the position shown at Fig. 3 the piston G begins t0 act on the other arm H and to push it into its recess c, from which it is again forced down by the pressure of steam supplied through the port f, opening to the said recess when the face X of the piston has passed that-point.

When arranged to reverse, the engine, as

f seen by Figs. 5, 6, 7, and S, is provided with two sets of arms H, one set of which remain ld ormantwhile the piston G is rotating in one direction, and the other while the piston is rotating in the opposite direction. The boss of each arm (in which exhaust-ports CZ are formed, as before described) has a spindle secured in one end of it, the said spindle passing through a stufling-box and gland in one of the removable covers of the cylinder and having-a lever or crankP keyed upon it. In conjunction with the said levers or cranks there is provided a parallel motion, (seen more particularly at Fig. 8,) and which consists of two levers Q, centered upon the cylinder-cover at Q and having their ends connected by links R, the connecting-pins projecting and acting as stops to the movement of one set of the leversP and the arms H, to which these levers are connected, according to the position of the At each side of the cylinder a piston distributing-valve K is situated in a valve-casing K which has two steamports c' i', one port j being formed through the valve which is brought into communication with the port c' or t, and with distributing-ports Z Z, made in the cylinder, accordingly as one or other of the sets of arms H are in operation. The piston-valves K K2 are conneeted by links S to bell-crank levers T, centered upon studs T', the upper arms of the levers being coupled by alink U. On one of the studs or spindles T a lever V is keyed, the

other end of the said lever being connected to a v 'shifted to supply steam through the ports Z or Z of the cylinder, as desired, by operating the lever o, the movement of the -lever to the notch phaving the effect of bringing the eccentric minto action and of supplying steam through the ports Z, and of actuating the arms H, (shown to be in operation on Fig. 5,) thel effect of which is to rotate the piston in the direction of the arrow, while the shifting of the lever to the notch p brings the port j of the piston into position to Supply steam to .the cylinder through the ports Z so, in conjunction with the other set of arms H,actu-- ating the piston in the opposite direction,- the arms H, which are for the time being out of action, being held stationary by their levers P and the -parallel motion Q R, as before described. To supply steam through the port Z the rod of the eccentric m must be made longer than that of the eccentric m. Onelink R of the parallel motion is extended, the extension having notches cut -in it, one of which engages with a pin or stud y', projecting from the cylinder-cover, and by so preventing vibration ofthe parallel motion holds one set of levers P and arms H in their dormant position until the direction of rotation of the piston is reversed, in which case the steam, acting on the back of the previouslydormant arms H, automatically shifts the levers Q and links R until the other notch as engages with the stud y', or instead of this motion any other suitable'valve' motion may be adopted.

The improved engine, constructed either as a single-acting or reversing engine, may be made to work expansively by arranging the valves K K2 to cut o steam at any desired part of the stroke of the piston G, and by the employment of two or more cylinders, the exhaust-ports of the first of which communicate with the steam-ports of the next in series, the engine may be adapted to operate as a compound engine, or as an engine with triple, quadruple, or other number of expansions.

Having now described the invention, what I desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a IOO IIC.

der, levers on said spindles, and a parallel x 5 motion arranged'aecording to its position to hold said arms out of action,substantially as described.

cylinder having its interior recessed, as set forth, with admission-ports leading from distributing-valyes to said recesses, a rotating segmental piston in said cylinder carried upon from said arms through an endof the eyln In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this lth'day of October, 1888.

ALEX. F. G. BROWN. Witnesses:

GEO. M. CRUIKSHANK,

Fel. Inst. Patent Agents, WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,

Fel. Inst. Patent Agents, Both of 62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow. 

